How much is car insurance for a 30-year-old?

Car insurance rates go down as you get older, and drivers in their thirties are likely paying significantly lower rates than they did in their twenties. The average rate for a 21-year-old driver is $2,708 per year, but the average cost of car insurance coverage for a 30-year-old driver is more than a thousand dollars cheaper, at $1,705 per year.

But drivers don’t have to be content just because their rates have gone down over time. USAA, GEICO, and Erie have some of the lowest rates for 30-year-old drivers, and there are several ways for drivers in their thirties to save even more money on car insurance.

How much is car insurance for a 30-year-old?

While the average 30-year-old driver pays $1,705 a year for a full coverage policy, rates vary by company. Thirty-year-old drivers can save the most money on their car insurance by shopping around for coverage and comparing quotes from multiple companies before choosing a policy. 

According to Policygenius analysis, here’s what 30-year-old drivers pay for full–coverage car insurance at ten of the top insurance companies in the U.S.:

Rates vary from one company to the next, so you can potentially save hundreds of dollars (or more) by comparing quotes from multiple companies.

Cheapest car insurance companies for 30-year-olds

According to our research, the best rates for 30-year-old drivers are with USAA at $1,091 per year, GEICO at $1,188 per year, and State Farm at $1,194 per year.

USAA

We found that USAA has the lowest average rates for 30-year-old drivers, charging $97 per year less than GEICO and $103 per year less than State Farm. USAA also has a JD Power rating of 890, but it is only available to members of the military and their families, which means not everyone will qualify for coverage.

GEICO

After USAA, GEICO has the next-lowest rate for 30-year-old drivers, but the average difference in rates between GEICO and State Farm is just $6 per year. GEICO is the second largest car insurance company in the nation, with 17 million policyholders and a JD Power score of 871. 

State Farm

We found that State Farm has the third lowest average rate for 30-year-old drivers. State Farm is the largest insurance company in the U.S. and has a JD Power score of 881, which is above average for the insurance industry. 

Average car insurance costs for 30-year-old drivers by gender

In most states, car insurance companies take your gender into account when setting your rates. A small handful of states, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania have laws in place that prevent your insurance company from considering your gender when deciding how much you pay for car insurance, but drivers everywhere else can expect to be rated based on their gender.

For most companies, the gender-based difference in rates is pretty small for drivers in their thirties, but there is no industry-wide standard on whether male or female drivers are more expensive to insure.

Average car insurance costs for 30-year-old drivers by credit score

If your credit score is less than excellent, working to improve it is an effective way to save money on your car insurance. Drivers of all ages will pay more for car insurance if they have bad credit. 

Even a small improvement in your credit rating can be enough to help you save money on car insurance. Going from a credit rating of 735 to 770 is a relatively small jump, but those few points could save you more than $300 a year on your car insurance premium.

Average car insurance costs for 30-year-old drivers by state

Your location plays a big part in how much you pay for insurance, so the average rate for 30-year-old drivers in Alabama is different from the average rates for 30-year-old drivers in Idaho. 

We found that North Carolina was the cheapest state for 30-year-old drivers, the average cost of a full-coverage policy there was $1,018 a year, while Florida was the most expensive state for 30-year-old drivers at an average of $3,004 a year for car insurance.

How to save money on car insurance for 30-year-old drivers

Rates for 30-year-old drivers are lower than rates for teens and younger drivers, but there are still ways for 30-year-olds to save even more money on their car insurance and make sure they’re getting the most affordable rates out there.

1. Compare quotes

Car insurance companies all use the same basic information to set rates, like age, driving history, and ZIP code, but each company has their own way of deciding how much to weigh each factor. This means the same driver could get quotes from two different companies that vary by hundreds of dollars (or more).

2. Take advantage of discounts

Most insurance companies offer dozens of discounts that can help you save money on your car insurance. Bundling discounts, customer loyalty discounts, discounts for safety features like anti-theft devices and stability controls, discounts for paying your policy in full, and discounts for active and retired military members can all help you save even more on car insurance.  

3. Keep your driving record clean

Your driving history is one of the most important factors in how much you pay for car insurance. If you have a recent accident or moving violation on your driving record, you’ll pay more. Avoiding accidents and moving violations, like speeding tickets or DUIs, will help you get the lowest possible rates. 

4. Choose your car wisely

The type of car you buy can also have an impact on what you pay for insurance. Insurance companies charge less to insure a Subaru Outback, for example, than a Tesla Model 3. That’s because a Subaru is cheaper to repair or replace than a Tesla — the lower cost for repairs on the Subaru means the insurance company will pay less if you file a claim, so they charge less to insure it.

Does car insurance get cheaper at 30?

If your driving record is clean and you don’t make any major changes to your insurance policy, your car insurance rates may go down over time. But age isn’t the only factor insurance companies use to set your rates, and changes like getting married, moving from one neighborhood to another, or buying a new car could all raise (or lower) the cost of your insurance.

Methodology

Policygenius has analyzed car insurance rates provided by Quadrant Information Services for every ZIP code in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. 

For full coverage policies, the following coverage limits were used:

• Bodily injury liability: 50/100

• Property damage liability: $50,000

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist: 50/100

• Comprehensive: $500 deductible

• Collision: $500 deductible

In some cases, additional coverages were added where required by the state or insurer.

Rates for overall average rate, rates by ZIP code, and cheapest companies determined using averages for single drivers age 30, 35, and 45. Our sample vehicle was a 2017 Toyota Camry LE driven 10,000 miles per year.

Rates for driving violations and “poor” credit were determined using average rates for a single male 30-year-old driver with a credit score under 578.

Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of insurance costs. Your actual quotes may differ.